A material sold under the name Corian® is sometimes used in the manufacture of bathroom and kitchen furnishings. This synthetic material reproduces the appearance of stones such as marble or granite. It is formed from a methyl methacrylate polymer filled with pigmented alumina trihydrate. The proportion of filling can vary from 20 to 85% of the weight, but preferably exceeds 60%. Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,865 describes the manufacture and the properties of such a material.
This material can be worked using conventional joinery methods. It can also be thermoformed. The possibilities of hot-bending the material are however limited due to the risks of crazing and discoloration of the material in the event of excessive bending. This is why the supplier recommends not exceeding a bend radius of 4 to 6 times the thickness of the sheet of material.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,324 proposes producing a countertop in Corian with a downturned edge at the front and an upturned edge at the rear of the countertop, with bend radii relative to the thickness of the board exceeding the limits mentioned above. To achieve this, it proposes cutting a groove to reduce the thickness of the board along the length of the bends between the main body of the countertop and the edges, and then to hot-bend the material.
However, although a board with a tight bend radius is obtained in this manner, the countertop is weakened due to the local reduction in thickness.